Prior to the ability for consumers to research products, services, people, and companies on the web and social media, salespeople needed to be the expert. The buyer didn’t have the ability to go online and conduct independent research; an important aspect of the sales process was the buyer’s education by the seller.

It’s a #KFCCrisis. A chicken restaurant without any chicken! KFC in the UK changed logistics companies and the new provider fouled up the fowl deliveries. FCK! But the company has done a wonderful job communicating on social networks and via advertisements.

Twelve years ago Matt Risinger started a custom home building firm specializing in architect driven and fine craftsmanship work. Soon after, he also started a YouTube channel about building science, craftsmanship, and best practices for building and remodeling. Matt now has more than 130,000 subscribers to his channel and his construction firm has grown from zero to $20 million in annual revenue in just over a decade. At a recent Tony Robbins Business Mastery event we sat down to discuss how Matt uses YouTube to grow his business.

Many marketers obsess over the competitors and their work reflects that obsession. But this isn’t the best approach to communicating to existing and potential customers. Advertising frequently includes comparison with the competition: Better, faster, cheaper!

I received a new American Express Business Platinum Card and was delighted to find that it is made out of metal. It’s really substantial, sleek, and stylish. All of a sudden my other credit cards seem mundane. As I was geeking out about a seemingly simple bit of branding, I realized the new metal card is an interesting marketing move by Amex.

It’s been reported that a 30-second 2018 Super Bowl television advertisement costs $5 million. Adding in a million dollars for production on top of that plus agencies and the internal resources dedicated to such advertising increases the cost to a minimum of $7 million. Yes, you will get seen. But is it worth it? Here are a few marketing strategies to consider that are likely to be more effective to market your company:

Today I got a direct mail advertisement from the local office of Sotheby’s International Realty. Normally I just throw my junk mail into the recycle bin, but the headline of this particular piece struck me as missing the mark. “As a Top Producing Agent” is what it said.

The massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas experienced a power outage. Crazy, right? All those gadgets and games gone dark! Ha. You can’t make this stuff up. This, of course, was fodder for real-time commentary, newsjacking, and powerful thoughts about the people in Puerto Rico who have been without power for months.